


Touch Too Much

by Katyakora



Series: Feels like a touch [1]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: M/M, coldatom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 12:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5967913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's all fun and games until Ray hugs Captain Cold. Who knew so much could change through a simple touch?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touch Too Much

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't gonna write this...and then I did. 
> 
> Warning, I really only started watching the Arrow this season, so I'm not as familiar with Ray and Sara's characters. I mostly based this off their LoT characterisation.
> 
> Update: Missed a line break in the first part, fixed it now.

 

Once Gideon had assured them that whatever Ray had been dosed with was harmless, the situation went from worrying to quite amusing. None of them had ever seen Ray drunk, but this didn’t seem to be far from what a happy, drunk Ray might be. He had attempted, several times, to hold scientific conversations with Stein, only to burst into hysterical giggles because ‘quark sounds so silly! It’s such a stupid word’. Honestly, most of them were just enjoying the entertainment, although any attempt Ray made to touch any piece of tech was gently but firmly discouraged.

 

It was when Leonard was in the process of calmly explaining that, no Raymond, you can’t tweak the cold gun right now, no not even just a little bit, that Ray did something absolutely nobody saw coming.

 

He hugged Captain Cold.

 

He dragged the startled criminal into a full-on bear hug, tucking him against his chest and shoving his face into the other man’s neck. Leonard froze completely, eyes wide and uncomprehending how he’d gotten there. The room went dead silent, no one knowing just how to react.

 

Until Mick abruptly began roaring with laughter. The rest of the room soon joined him with snickers and chuckles. Leonard sent them all death glares, his shoulders visibly twitching with his attempts to break free. Ray remained oblivious, simply holding the other man close. Leonard’s fists clenched tight and his eyes looked a little wild.

 

“Get. Him. Off. Me,” he hissed through clenched teeth. Sara stepped forward, still giggling as she tugged at Ray’s shoulder.

 

“Ok, Ray, why don’t you let him go now?” she prompted gently.

 

“Nooooooo!” was the response, slightly muffled against Leonard’s neck. Leonard winced visibly as Ray squeezed tighter.

 

“Come on, Ray, he looks a little uncomfortable,” Sara tried again.

 

“No, Lenny needs hugs,” the doped up tech genius insisted and proceeded to start nuzzling. Mick was now on the floor, clutching his sides as he howled in laughter. Nothing Sara tried could get Ray to let go, he simply kept insisting that the hug was needed. Finally, Leonard’s hands came up to awkwardly pat Ray on the back.

 

“I’ll tell you what; if you let go now, we’ll have more hugs later, ok?” Leonard managed to grit out through his teeth. Finally, Ray pulled back a little, fixing Leonard with a dopey grin.

 

“Really? Promise?” he asked, all wide-eyed enthusiasm.

 

“Promise. Now if you don’t mind?” Just like that, Ray released him. The instant he was free, Leonard made for the exit, leaving the others to deal with Ray.

* * *

  


Leonard hit the mat hard, breathing heavily. Ignoring his protesting muscles, he sprang to his feet.

 

“Again,” he commanded. Across from him, Sara raised a judging eyebrow. They’d been at this for almost two hours now, but she dutifully got back into a fighting stance.

 

“You know,” she began conversationally as they traded blows back and forth. “Instead of me kicking your ass for hours, we could, oh I don’t know, talk about it?” Len glared at her while sloppily blocking her kick.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he huffed. She rolled her eyes at his stubbornness and flipped him down onto the mat, smoothly pinning him with a knee.

 

“Just tell me one thing; was it the hug, or was it because it was Ray?” With an annoyed huff, he tapped out.

 

“I don’t care that it was Palmer,” he ground out, glaring up at her. “Beyond certain character flaws, I have nothing against the overgrown labrador.”

 

“Good,” she responded as she dragged him to his feet. “Ray’s a good guy, and he obviously cares enough about you to risk life and limb giving your grumpy ass a hug when he thinks you need one.”

 

“I think you’re reading a little too much into it, Sara,” Len countered. “He was higher than you in the seventies.”

 

“Pretty sure being out of it just meant he forgot to be scared of you. Or that boundaries exist.” She sighed and her expression turned serious. “Look, my point is, don’t hold it against him. Ray’s the kind of guy who cares a lot and I know he just wants to be your friend. Don’t bring him down just because he actually happens to like you.”

 

“So, what, you want us to be BFFs? Have sleep-overs and braid each other’s hair?” he drawled dryly, clearly sceptical about her assertions. She laughed freely.

 

“If he actually managed to braid _your_ hair, he deserves a medal. No, I’m just saying, give him a chance? He might surprise you.” He rolled his eyes.

 

“Somehow, I doubt that. Chill out, Sara, I’ll go easy him.” She smiled warmly.

 

“That’s all I needed to hear. So, are we done or do you actually want to go again?” Before he could answer, there was a tentative knock from the doorway. There stood Ray, cheeks dusted with a blush, radiating awkwardness and failing to meet anyone’s eye.

 

“Hey Ray,” Sara greeted him cheerfully, failing to keep the amusement out of her voice. “Finally feeling like yourself again?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously and clearing his throat. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, I, uh, just came to, well, I wanted to apologise. To you, Leonard.” He finally managed to look Len in the eye, his shoulders squared but otherwise the picture of contrition. Len remained impassive, patiently waiting for him to continue. “I’m sorry. I know my actions earlier made you uncomfortable. And probably something I said too, but I can’t actually remember everything I said, so, just in case, I’m sorry for that too. I know you’re not...well, I mean, you don’t…”

 

“Raymond,” Len interrupted him, taking pity on the poor, fumbling inventor. “Don’t worry about it. Like the lady said, you weren’t yourself.”

 

“Really?” Ray looked honestly surprised Leonard was letting him off the hook. “I mean thank you! Um, that’s all I wanted to say, so...I’ll let you get back to it.” He beat a hasty retreat. Len looked over at Sara to find her grinning gleefully at him.

 

“Stop looking at me like that.”

 

“Proud of you, Lenny,” she teased, smirking as he just rolled his eyes at her antics.

* * *

  


It was several days later when Ray found himself dangling from the side of a building. None of them had been expecting the bomb. Although relatively small, Ray had had the misfortune of standing near a window. His ears were ringing and he was probably covered in minor cuts and bruises, but he was more concerned that his jacket, snagged on a twisted piece of joinery, was the only thing keeping him from plummeting ten storeys. The way he was hanging meant he couldn’t reach the suit in his pocket.

 

Thankfully, just as he was really starting to panic, Kendra swooped in to the rescue, scooping him up and smoothly depositing him on a neighbouring rooftop. She was off again the instant his feet touched down, probably to get Snart, the only other person who’d been with them who couldn’t fly. In the distance, Ray could see Firestorm containing the blaze the explosion had started. Mick was gonna be pissed he missed it.

 

Ray’s ears were still ringing and he braced himself heavily on his knees, trying to calm his galloping heart. He didn’t even notice when Kendra deposited Leonard on the roof. He was only aware of strong, nimble hands pulling him up and a pair of arms wrapping roughly around his middle. The hug was so abrupt and unexpected that Ray didn’t have a chance to reciprocate before Leonard was pulling away. The other man looked him up and down and then, clearly satisfied his wounds were superficial, gave him an amused smirk. Ray knew he looked flabbergasted, but to be fair, he had just been hugged by _Leonard Snart_.

 

“Don’t look so surprised, Raymond,” the thief drawled. “Can’t have you dying without paying your debt.” Ray couldn’t do anything but look at him as he headed for the fire escape.

 

There was a subtle shift after that. It seemed that Leonard was, well, tolerating Ray a lot more easily than he had before. It was little things, like Leonard choosing to take the free seat next to Ray rather than Sara or Mick. Ray wasn’t complaining, he was just confused considering he’d assumed Leonard would never warm up to him after the drugged hugging incident. Now, he’d stopped shooting Ray down in every conversation, his remarks no longer belittling but constructive. By Leonard’s standards, he was being positively friendly.

 

Which is why one day Ray forgot himself, giving the other man a friendly clap on the shoulder before heading out on a mission. He was halfway down the corridor before he realised what he’d done, but when he glanced back, Leonard didn't seem at all phased, deep in conversation with Rip about the plan. Ray kept walking, lost in thought. Maybe the contact hadn’t been as presumptive as he’d thought? Later, Leonard still chose to sit next to him for the time jump, so apparently it wasn’t an issue.  

 

Ray had always been a tactile person, it was how he was most confident communicating. At first, Len seemed to just accept it as a part of being near Ray, tolerating the absent-minded contact. As they spent more and more time together, Len noticeably relaxed, becoming more comfortable around Ray until he was leaning into the touches as though subconsciously expecting them. Ray couldn’t hold back a grin the day Len started to reciprocate the casual contact, even if it was just a fistbump for a job well done.

 

Len used to hold his posture very deliberately near anyone except Mick, but now he would let himself slouch in his chair, knee and shoulder resting against Ray’s. He was surprisingly warm for someone called Cold, and Ray often opted to share a couch with him during their downtime rather than take a chair. Len never told him to fuck off, he would just obnoxiously rest his feet across Ray’s knees. It got to the point that, if Len was in the lounge when Ray entered, he’d just lift his feet, knowing exactly where the other man would sit. Ray didn’t mind. At this point, he would consider Len a friend, and with all the time they spent together and how comfortable Len had become around him, he thought Len considered him one too.

 

Until one day, it all stopped. It was late in the evening, the others either sleeping or occupying themselves with various hobbies. Ray and Len were on the couch in the lounge reading, when Jax walked in and stopped dead in his tracks, looking like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Ray couldn’t imagine why, it was just the two of them on the couch, Len sprawled across the whole thing like he always did, his legs thrown over Ray’s lap, one of Ray’s hands resting on Len’s knee.

 

“Uh, how long has this been going on?”

 

Next to him, Ray felt Len tense. Huh, Ray hadn’t realised how much he’d slouched, so he was half leaning into Len. Ray frowned at him, a little confused by his reaction, but Len was staring intently at his tablet, face blank, like he wasn’t really seeing it.

 

“Um, maybe an hour?” Ray finally answered Jax, since it had been about that long since Len came in and dropped down across Ray.

 

Jax raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly. “OK, that's cool, so long as I don't hear anything through the walls later.” He turned on his heel and left, apparently having abandoned whatever he came there to do. Without a word, Len briskly got to his feet and followed him out, leaving Ray suddenly cold and very confused.

 

That afternoon, Len chose to sit next to Sara for the time jump, and Ray’s disappointment felt like a bucket of ice water to the face. Ray didn’t realise how much time they’d been spending together until Len was suddenly avoiding him. He barely saw him and when he did Len only spoke to him if he absolutely had to, in clipped, cold tones that left no room for conversation. Len’s hadn’t even been this distant when they first started this quest. Ray tried to ask Mick what was up with Len, but he wasn’t much help.

 

“He’s being stupid,” the pyro grunted cryptically. “Don’t worry, he’ll drag his head out of his ass eventually.”

* * *

  


“Sara,” Len commanded abruptly one evening. “I need a sparring partner.”

 

“Why don’t you just spar with Ray?” Sara asked with a frown, concern niggling in the back of her brain. Len almost always sparred with Ray these days and he knew she’d already gone a round with Kendra today.

 

“I’m not asking Ray,” he ground out through a grimace. Sara took in his tense posture, the way his hands clenched and flexed unconsciously, and got to her feet.

 

“Let me change, I’ll meet you in the cargo bay.” She managed to hold out for about an hour, letting Len tire himself and hopefully work off his frustrations before she attempted to sate her curiosity.  

 

“So, trouble in paradise?” she drawled casually. The look Len gave her could have peeled paint.

 

“This is all your fault,” he snarled, forcing her to duck a vicious right hook.

 

“Think you could be a little more specific?” she huffed as she countered.

 

“I don’t get close to people, Sara.”

 

“You make exceptions,” she pointed out, ignoring his feint to land a knee to his side. “Is this about you getting cozy with Ray? Because I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.”

 

“It is a bad thing,” Len hissed, partially in pain, but successfully blocked her strike. “Because when all this is over, he’ll go back to his perfect little life in his ivory tower. Where exactly do you think that’ll leave me?”

 

“With a hot young sugar daddy?”

 

“I’m being serious here, Lance!” he growled. She saw the sweep coming and let him pin her, only to expertly flip them.

 

“So am I, _Snart_ . I’m glad you finally figured out that you care about Ray, but don’t take it out on me just because _you_ are scared. Yeah, this whole situation is weird, but I know there is no way Ray is just gonna abandon you when we go back to our time.”

 

“You can’t know that.” Len glared up at her, struggling but failing to get unpinned.

 

“Actually, I do. Ray fights for what he wants, no matter what anyone thinks about it.”

 

“And you actually think he wants me?” Len scoffed. Sara wanted to punch him, but that didn’t really seem fair while she had him pinned.

 

“You’re both idiots. Figure it out, Len. You’re a smart guy. I thought you paid attention?” She got off him and left, letting him mull over that cryptic message.

 

He sat there, breathing heavily in the quiet of the cargo bay. Shaking his head at himself, he stood and went over to the punching bag, hoping the endless repetition would help get his head on straight. He didn't want to admit he was afraid. Len never trusted anyone enough to really let them get close. But Ray was so sincere and utterly guileless that Len couldn't help but let him in, if only to show him the truth of the world. It had been subtle and slow, and therefore inescapable, but Len had fallen, more than he had let himself since he was a teenager. He just couldn't fathom what Ray would want in an old crook like him.

 

“Oh, I didn't realise anyone was down here.”

 

Len stopped punching, glancing up enough to confirm it was indeed Ray’s silhouette in the doorway.

 

“If you wanted to, you know, be alone, I can come back later?” The nervous lilt in Ray's voice was painful, so clearly unsure of his welcome. Now Len felt guilty. Ray didn't deserve to be treated like crap just because Len couldn't handle his own feelings.

 

“It’s fine,” he assured Ray, not looking up from the punching bag, gesturing to the room at large. “Plenty of room for both of us.” Ray seemed hesitant, but continued into the room. Len went back to punching, trying not to watch Ray stretch. He managed to get back into a rhythm, successfully ignoring the scientist and the elephant in the room. It didn't last long.

 

“What did I do?” Ray burst out suddenly. “Help me out here, Len, I can't fix this if I don't know what I did!” Len sighed, giving the punching bag a particularly vicious jab.

 

“You didn’t do anything, Ray.”

 

“Bullshit. You haven't been able to so much as look me in the eye for two days now!” Ray was yelling and he took a deep breath to calm himself. “I thought we were friends Len.” There was the barest shake to his voice. “I just wanna know what I did wrong so we can go back to that.”

 

Len stopped punching and finally looked at Ray. That was a mistake. He looked crushed.

 

“ _You_ didn't do anything,” Len repeated, hoping Ray would understand.

 

“Then what the hell is the problem?” Ray demanded, clearly frustrated. “You’ve barely talked to me for two days! I didn't even know it was possible to miss somebody you lived in an enclosed space with!”

 

Len felt like his heart was physically cracking. No one had ever missed him except Lisa. He always thought she'd be the only one who ever shed a tear over him, but now it seemed Ray would be right there with her. The thought was a strangely comforting one, that if anything ever happened to him, Ray would be there to look out for Lisa.

 

Something light and hopeful bubbled up in his chest. It was a small hope, but it was enough to get his feet to move, to cross the room despite the fear he’d never admit to. He stalked up to Ray with all the predatory grace he’d honed in a lifetime of thievery. The sudden move surprised the inventor but he set his jaw grimly, refusing to back down.

 

“You really wanna know what my problem is, Raymond?” The question came out low and rough. He sounded almost angry. Ray met his icy gaze, those warm brown eyes uncharacteristically hard.

 

“Yes.” The reply was soft but steady, Ray’s breathing quickening at Len’s approach. They stood a foot apart, the air between them charged with tension and uncertainty.

 

“How bout I show you?”

 

Len didn’t give him a chance to reply, he simply hooked a hand around Ray’s neck and surged forward, capturing the other man’s lips. Even if Ray wanted nothing more to do with him after this, at least he could steal this moment, this one touch that he chose. He was prepared for shock, maybe anger, definitely rejection.

 

He wasn’t prepared for the way Ray melted against him, hot hands slipping around Len’s waist, Ray’s whole body moulding against him like he couldn’t get enough contact. The touch was electric, amplified by the fact that Len had forgone the usual buffer of his coat while sparring and he could feel the ripple of Ray’s muscles through their thin t shirts. Ray pulled them flush together and Len found himself letting him, his own hands twisting in Ray’s thick locks, marvelling at the silk beneath his fingers. Ray kissed the way he did everything, with enthusiasm and expertise. His lips were a treat and a tease, the press of his tongue drawing an embarrassing breathy gasp from Len as he let him in. Ray groaned in return, one of his hands sliding up the plane of Len’s back. Ray was only an inch or two taller than him, but Len felt like he was being enveloped by the other man, his senses drowning in him.

 

It was terrifying and perfect and Len chased the sensation when Ray finally, reluctantly, pulled away. Ray looked deliciously debauched, his hair sticking up everywhere thanks to Len’s hands, his lips plush and pink and his pupils blown wide. He took a moment to catch his breath, eyes never leaving Len’s face, looking at him like he expected to wake up any second.

 

“That...this is a problem?” Ray finally managed to ask, his voice low like he didn’t want to spook him. Len tilted his head in a shrug, hands still at Ray’s neck.

 

“Well, until two minutes ago, I was operating under the impression that you weren’t interested.”

 

“To be fair, until about two minutes ago, so was I,” Ray admitted easily, that carefree grin beginning to stretch across his face. Len turned sombre.

 

“I don’t like letting people get close, Raymond,” he admitted softly, words meant only for the few inches of space between them. “It’s messy, it’s risky and it’s always painful.”

 

“It also sounds like a lonely way to live,” Ray countered, just as softly. The barest hint of a smile played at the corners of Len’s mouth as he looked at Ray.

 

“I think I’m starting to see that.” One hand trailed down Ray’s shoulder to take his hand, firm and sure. “Come on.”

 

“Where are we going?” Ray asked innocently as he let himself be led. Len paused, giving him a look that would once have been exasperated but was now mostly fond.

 

“Well, we can stay here and finish this conversation. Out in the open, with Kendra, Mick and Sara behind the door with their cameras out.” He paused for effect and there was the distinct sound of panicked whispers and one low, amused chuckle from the doorway. “Or…” Len stepped back into his space, stopping so their noses were an inch apart, testing and teasing. “We could find somewhere more private. To talk.” The way he said it made it clear he really did want to talk. He wanted them to be on the same page, understanding each other. And if anything else occurred in the privacy of Len’s bunk, well, that was just between them.

 

“Lead the way,” Ray answered with a smile, squeezing Len’s hand. Len smiled in return. This was going to be messy, risky and painful.

 

But he knew it was going to be worth it.


End file.
